pillage

[ pil-ij ]

See synonyms for: pillage pillager on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),pil·laged, pil·lag·ing.

to strip ruthlessly of money or goods by open violence, as in war; plunder: The barbarians pillaged every conquered city.
to take as booty.

verb (used without object),pil·laged, pil·lag·ing.

to rob with open violence; take booty: Soldiers roamed the countryside, pillaging and killing.

noun

the act of plundering, especially in war.
booty or spoil.

Origin of pillage

1350–1400; Middle English pilage (see pill³, -age), modeled on Middle French pillage (derivative of piller to pillage, originally, to abuse, mistreat, tear, of uncertain origin)

Other words for pillage

1	rob, sack, spoil, despoil, rape
4	rapine, depredation, spoliation
5	plunder

See synonyms for pillage on Thesaurus.com

Other words from pillage

pil·lag·er, noun
un·pil·laged, adjective

Words Nearby pillage

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pillage in a sentence

Will the Obama coalition now forever outvote and and pillage the makers of American wealth?
Commentary's Symposium on the Future of Conservatism | David Frum | January 2, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
They will use their majority to pillage the makers and redistribute to the takers.
Fellow Conservatives, Ease Off the Doom and Gloom | David Frum | November 12, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Those who carry out this pillage probably believe they can outrun their own destructiveness.
Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco Chronicle Mining Catastrophes in West Virginia | Chris Hedges, Joe Sacco | June 14, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Instead, they were complicit in the plastic pillage that generated a fortune in fees from the member banks and their execs.
Why Did Visa and MasterCard Get Off Scot-Free? | Adam Hanft | May 20, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
What reliance could repose upon a house, divided against itself—not safe from the extravagance and pillage of its own members?
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV. | Various

Cuenca, Spain, taken by the French under Caulincourt, and given up to pillage.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
So there was pillage and raiding across the Parrett, and at last Ina had sent messages to Gerent concerning it.
A Prince of Cornwall | Charles W. Whistler
He gave up the town to pillage and rapine, allowing the doing of such deeds as have consigned his name to well-merited infamy.
Elsie's Vacation and After Events | Martha Finley
Never forget our rule: 'A true vagabond, twenty-four hours after a pillage, must have nothing left but his skin and his knife.'
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman | Eugne Sue

British Dictionary definitions for pillage

pillage

/ (ˈpɪlɪdʒ) /

verb

to rob (a town, village, etc) of (booty or spoils), esp during a war

noun

the act of pillaging
something obtained by pillaging; booty

Origin of pillage

C14: via Old French from piller to despoil, probably from peille rag, from Latin pīleus felt cap

Derived forms of pillage

pillager, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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